Guardian
by NadieQuerida
Summary: Sasuke returns to Konoha, Madara is defeated, and Konoha achieves a new equilibrium. Some things, however, are never the same again... but it's always a comfort to know that somewhere, somehow, your Guardian is up there. Slight AU. R&R!


**All standard disclaimers apply.**

**Chapter One**

_Naruto had disappeared._

_Sasuke didn't even bother contemplating the thought that perhaps—_perhaps_—the blond shinobi had been slain in the midst of battle, because that was absolutely ridiculous. That hyperactive loud mouth simply didn't have an off button to begin with, and silencing him would never be as easy as simply defeating him. If that was even possible, of course. _

_Nevertheless, Sasuke absently beheaded another man in his way and spared a moment to glance around the war zone for the shockingly blond mess of hair, but couldn't spot it. It had only been moments before when he could have sword he'd heard that ever familiar _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_ yelled out (in a volume of voice set to rival Lee and Gai's declarations of burning youth) but even the clones were now missing. A confused frown tugged at the corner of his lips as he ducked to avoid a swinging blade before weaving through the throng of bodies to slay the wielder. _

"_Gotcha," he whispered, letting the blood squirt out of the still-warm body and splatter onto the grass beneath his feet. And he hadn't even applied a single jutsu... this was too easy. The thought had been nagging him constantly in the past two hours that he'd been engaged in the manslaughter, because this was not how shinobi fought._

_Not shinobi like him, anyways. _

_He was an Uchiha, and this systematic depletion of the enemy force using crude weapons was not his style. He'd barely even activated his Sharingan, and his chakra was still humming powerfully in his body, reacting to the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Where were the real ninjas? According to Konoha's scouts, this was the only army available—no, Sasuke amended—this was the only gang of children (because compared to the Village's lethal fighting force, the men before them barely matched up) sent to do...what? Distract them? _

_No, that couldn't be it. Too obvious. Even Tsunade had been wary of a possible trap, sending out only two teams at a time to "warm up" against the invading army before the real fighting began. Except... it was looking as if this was the only fighting to be done in this skirmish. This wasn't shaping up to be a prelude to an assault of any kind...Was this truly the "real fight"?_

"_Sasuke!" His pink haired teammate landed nimbly next to the Uchiha, a healthy flush to her cheeks as she readjusted her modified gloves, barely out of breath. _

"_Where's the dobe?" Sasuke asked quickly, throwing a kunai over Sakura's shoulder to discourage the man attempting to sneak up on her. The girl—no, woman , Sasuke mentally corrected himself—didn't even bat an eye as the blade whipped past her, a testimony to her complete faith in him. _

"_I don't know—his Summons are still here..." she blinked as if she hadn't really noticed Naruto's absence, taking a quick survey of the vicinity as if to double check. Indeed, there were frogs all over the place, gleefully hopping over dead bodies and reporting the massacre back to headquarters. She hadn't really been paying attention to her teammates since her assignment was to check for survivors amongst the fallen to take back for interrogation, and that had been a bit tedious. "I think we're being relieved, though," she pointed out, gesturing to the side where Gai's team was making its way towards them, waving..._

_

* * *

_Itachi had disappeared.

Sasuke had already checked all his known hiding places, plus a few possibilities that had occurred to him during the hunt, but the brat wasn't to found anywhere. He could have sworn he'd heard that familiar laugh just a while ago (at a volume set to deafen anyone within hearing range) but not anymore. The unnatural silence had become too loud for Sasuke, and the lack of anything disastrous happening in the past half hour had finally driven the man to go searching.

"Sakura!" He called out, pausing by the door to slip on his boots, "I'm going out!"

"If he's gone and painted the Hokage Mountain orange again..." The threat drifted to Sasuke's ears just before he closed the door behind him. His wife had been busy in the kitchen all day preparing for their daughter's first birthday, and since she was probably even more attuned to Itachi's prankster tendencies than her husband, she'd already figured out the reason for Sasuke's sudden departure.

Since the entrance of the Uchiha compound faced away from the Hokage Mountain, Sasuke had to jump onto the roof of the nearest building in order to view the suspected scene of the crime. Thankfully, all six carved faces stared back at him, graffiti-free and still squeaky clean from their ritual wash last week (the graffiti-removal cleansing process had become routine now due to Itachi's blossoming creativity).

Sasuke caught himself running a hand through his dark hair, and smiled faintly. He'd checked this morning, out of pure curiosity of course, but he'd still to grow a single white hair. Soon, though... If Itachi had anything to do about it, he'd be supporting a new hair color before the decade was over.

"I should never have told him so many bed time stories," he muttered, pumping a slight tendril of chakra to his legs and leaping across the rooftops, heading towards the training areas.

Perhaps Lee had tried stuffing him into another green spandex atrocity? The memory made him cringe. As independent as Itachi was, he was still a gullible boy that adored the stronger adults around him, and... somehow... that included Rock Lee.

Perhaps that was Neji's influence, Sasuke mused, eyes glancing over the Hyuuga compound as he leaped parallel to it. Lee still kept himself in Neji's constant company, and since Itachi was a frequent visitor to the Hyuuga compound, he was likely guilty by association. Perhaps he'd better check here first, since he was already so close.

"Uchiha," the alert guard bowed formally as Sasuke's feet touched the ground in front of the gates. Sasuke nodded in acknowledgment, being a man of few words, and waited as he was ushered inside. The scene was quite familiar—a perfectly manicured garden hiding a multitude of tiled pathways leading to separate buildings each—and so were the residents.

"Sasuke? Is everything alright?" Hanabi appeared silently to his left, pale eyes crinkled at the corners in faint concern. "Shall I call for Neji?"

The woman had blossomed under the responsibility as Hyuuga Clan Leader, placed upon her young shoulders at an early age. She'd received less training for the position than Hinata had, but her natural leadership qualities had served her well. Sasuke noted the deadly blade in her hands, plus her simple attire, and figured that she'd probably been summoned from the middle of a practice bout to greet Sasuke.

One clan leader to another.

"Nothing to worry about. Is Itachi here?" No point beating around the bush, Sasuke figured, since this definitely wasn't a luxury visit.

Hanabi relaxed, although the slight shift in posture was barely noticeable. "No, he's not. He should turn up soon though, not to fret." She was quite accustomed to calls such as these, but she hadn't been expecting one on a day where Sasuke's clan (whose members could be counted on one hand with a finger left over) would normally be busy with the celebratory preparations.

"I was hoping to catch him before he took up the notion to experiment with his new _Katon_ skills, unsupervised," Sasuke said dryly, casting an eye about the vicinity for any signs of Neji.

And, as if Hanabi's limit extended beyond chakra levels and to brain waves, she shook her head. "Neji has been helping Tenten with her Scrolls all morning. He's still there, I believe."

"Ah..." Sasuke mentally chastised himself for the slight memory lapse; hadn't Neji been complaining, in his own subtle way of course, about the tedious process just last week? "Of course. I apologize for the inconvenience," he bowed his head briefly, raising it in time to see Hanabi shake her head.

"No need," she said smoothly, stepping to the side. "I can understand completely; you and Sakura have more pressing matters to attend to, do you not?" And with that he recognized his dismissal, gratefully taking the opportunity to make his escape.

As the guards let him out, Sasuke briefly reflected on the lack of formality the Hyuugas had honoured him with. It was customary for all formalities to be adhered to in a strict fashion when nobles dealt amongst themselves, but his encounters with the Byakuugan wielders were usually casual, and in good spirits. But of course, he hadn't quite earned it... it was a privilege.

* * *

_The trees blurred by Sakura as she weaved her way through the branches. Her heart was rattling against her ribs anxiously, and something sour was spreading through her veins. Her mouth was dry, her ears were pounding, but for some reason her thoughts were crystal clear._

_ Good, good—she needed to keep her despair at bay... _

_ "Move!" Emerald eyes flickered towards the sentries perched in the boughs before her, calling out for the pink haired ninja to identify herself. She couldn't deal with the formalities right now—"Move," she commanded in a terrible voice, discouraging them from attacking by flicking a cluster of shuriken in their general direction. They dodged, of course, but immediately went on the offensive. _

_ It wasn't her problem if they couldn't even recognize the symbol on her headband, or recognize her as the Healer that had probably treated their wounds a few days ago._

_ "Let her pass!" Gai's voice boomed from behind her and the guards froze, allowing Sakura to literally fly by. She was already bounding towards the walls of the village as Gai and his team caught up with the pair of bewildered chuunin, hastily explaining the situation before breaking away for Konoha as well._

_ Rock Lee, anticipating another similar problem to crop up when Sakura reached the gates, looked to his sensei for permission to remove a set of weights. Gai nodded and a moment later Rock Lee had put on a burst of speed, overtaking Sakura within a few moments and going on ahead to clear the way for her. _

_

* * *

_Muffled cries reached Sakura's ears just before her internal clock told her that it was time to feed the baby. Except—the baby wasn't exactly a baby anymore, was she? Smiling slightly, the mother wiped her hands on her apron and, grabbing the baby bottle she'd had simmering in a pot of warm water, headed up the stairs and into the nursery.

Hanako was waving her fists above her head as she stood indignantly in her cot, dark eyes very upset. _How could you let me wait so long? _They seemed to ask mournfully. Chubby hands grasped the offered bottle and, gaze fixed on her mother, Hanako settled herself on her pillow and drank.

"Good afternoon, lady," Sakura smiled teasingly as she watched her daughter in amusement. "Do you know what day it is today, sweetie?" Hanako blinked up at her and made a noncommittal noise, much too engrossed in her bottle than what Sakura had to say.

Only twelve months old, and such personality! Most definitely not like her father in that sense...no, she couldn't imagine Sasuke acting so imperiously—wait, no. Never mind. Hanako was definitely her father's daughter, alright...

...Not to mention her brother's sister too, Sakura noted dryly, recognizing the glimmer of mischief in those pretty orbs. She could only think of what trouble the pair would get into once Itachi realized her potential.

Her lips tugged downwards in slight concern as she wondered where her boy was. Sasuke usually managed to track down the sprite by now—and he just had to have vanished today of all days! "Come on sweetie," Sakura sighed as she reached down to pick up Hanako, "let's get you cleaned up."

She propped Hanako against her hip and walked towards the closet where a cute little outfit of red and white hung, freshly washed and ironed. Hanako regarded it mournfully, balancing her bottle in both hands; she was already displaying her tomboyish qualities, squirming when anything with frills or bows was brought near her.

And, upon seeing the cute white blouse and red skirt with a lacy bow along the hem, Hanako did just that: she began wriggling with such desperateness that Sakura let out an exasperated sigh, turning to look at her one year old with raised brows. "Don't act up with me, missy! Even Itachi approved it," she sniffed. "Although it could do with a few more hearts and sparkles..."

* * *

_Naruto's stricken blue eyes looked up from his wife's pale face to regard Tsunade solemnly. It was one of the rare few times that he was frozen still, his energetic aura practically nonexistent. Where he would normally be pacing a hole in the floor, he had fallen to his knees next to Hinata's bed. At any other time, Naruto would have loudly demanded a cure for the bursts of pain that racked her body, but now it appeared as if he was silently sharing her agony. _

_ Bright blue eyes that shone with defiance and life were now devoid of anything but grief and resignation. _

_What wrenched Tsunade's heart was the fact that Naruto believed in Tsunade and Sakura's healing capabilities so absolutely that he had not even questioned their judgement for a better alternative. When the two kunoichi had finally, _finally_ pronounced Hinata's fate, Naruto had stood still in shock but—and this had brought tears to Tsunade's eyes—nodded his head, lips white and face ashen._

_If only he had railed against them, demanded a second opinion, adopted his unbeatable attitude towards the upcoming death of his wife... _

"_Hey," Hinata whispered weakly, raising her hand to grasp Naruto's as the other rested protectively over her belly, "you know..."_

_Tsunade turned around and headed into the hallway to give the couple some privacy. She leaned against the door and sighed, rubbing her cheek wearily as the eyes of Konoha's elite turned towards her._

"_Tsunade-sama..." Hiashi stepped forward, a faint urgency barely concealed in his voice. Tsunade was instantly brought back eighteen years where the man had stood in a similar position in the same hospital, inquiring after the health of his wife after a tough labour... _

"_How is she?" _

_Tsunade glanced towards Sakura, who was huddled in the corner with her face buried in Sasuke's shoulder, trembling slightly. In the end, even her most prized pupil had been unable to maintain her professionalism in the face of such a personal loss._

"_She's resting. We will begin the procedure in an hour. Hinata and Naruto have agreed to go through with the C-section. After that, the mother will have a matter of hours before her body—dies."_

_ The occupants of the hallway stilled. Hiashi's eyes fluttered to a close, breathing unevenly; beside him, Neji's hands froze on his knees. Hanabi didn't move a muscle save for widening her eyes a fraction._

_ Kiba's hold on Akamaru loosened, and even the dog seemed to wilt. Shino, stoic Shino Aburame, leaned his head against the wall as if he couldn't bear his own weight anymore._

_ And in the far, dark corner, Sakura clutched Sasuke even tighter._

_

* * *

_Sasuke sighed in frustration as he completed the seals for a few _Bunshin_ to aid him in his search for his son. He'd already been to the playground in search for Kurenai, only to find that she was out on a mission and that her young son was staying with Konohamaru. That, of course, had warranted a trip to the young Hokage's place only to find that both cousins were at the Tower and no, Itachi hadn't been sighted.

After that, Sasuke had visited the Yamanaka's flower shop to find it closed for the day. It was after Sasuke had yet again made a fruitless journey to Iruka's place that he enlisted the help of his clones—which, in hindsight, he should have done earlier. Sakura wouldn't be happy at the delay, but what could he say? Itachi was much too clever for his own good.

Sasuke contemplated where he could go next, but figured that his clones would probably have searched the place before him. His eyes flickered to the skies, and he judged his time to be about one in the afternoon... time enough to pay his old friend a visit before things got busy. It had been a few days, after all.

Naruto's grave was tucked away in line next to the Sandaime's burial site, his gravestone proudly displaying his status as the Rokudaime, however briefly he'd held it. Fresh bunches of flowers rested against the stone pillars, four of which towered at each corner of the site.

Sasuke shoved his fists into his pockets and seated himself at his customary place, on the middle step leading up to the tomb. He fell into a comfortable silence as his mind raced backwards, to a time when Team Seven had been a living unit, and not just a legend.

"Apparently you can't stay dead for long dobe," Sasuke finally spoke, his voice soft and steady. "You know, Itachi discovered ramen last week..."

* * *

**AN: Nadie here! **

**This is my first attempt at a **_**Naruto**_** fanfic, and it obviously goes without saying that I'd appreciate any feedback you guys might give me. Constructive criticism, flames, adoring comments...ha!**

**Now, I'm trying to weave a few elements together in this work and seeing that I'm a complete amateur, definitely feel free to point me in the right direction regarding any small details that I might have overlooked, any suggestions or whatnot. **

**I was intending on making this a one-shot, but then I remembered how much I hate reading those and didn't really want to inflict my own pet peeve on anyone else... so stay tuned for the next chapter! **

**Now, you guys might see through my story like transparent glass but to be honest, I haven't really put too much effort into maintaining any suspense, despite what the frequent flashbacks imply. I know it's kind of obvious where I'm going with this, but I just wanted to express this possibility that had been zooming around in my head for so long! I'm writing this as I imagine it playing out in my head, and I don't have a specific plot planned out in my mind. **

**As a side note... this is just a figment of my imagination, and by no means do I think that this is where the manga is going. At all. I'm quite up to date with **_**Naruto**_** right now but I've placed the setting of this fanfic years after the whole Itachi-Sasuke confrontation, and also after the period where Tobi reveals himself as Madara Uchiha and sheds some light on Itachi's past. In this story, Sasuke's ambition in life was satisfied after Itachi's death but instead of being swayed by Madara's words, he elected to return to Konoha and protect his brother's treasured village from harm, just as Itachi would have wanted. Honestly, if Itachi went to such great lengths to protect the citizens and obey the Hokage, surely it is understandable that Sasuke would want to continue with his last wishes? I mean, instead of getting avenging his brother's death, I find it plausible that Sasuke, adoring his brother, would have seen things Itachi's way and returned to Konoha instead of aidint Akatsuki and stuff.**

**/rant!**


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